Makes approx. 12 pancakes:

Large Potatoes – 4 or 5, peeled
Onion – 1/2 cup
Egg Replacer – According to package instructions; Equivalent to one large egg
Flour – 1 Tablespoon
Canola Oil – 1/2 Cup
Salt & Pepper – To taste

You will need: Hand Grater; Mixing Bowl; Skillet; Slotted Spoon, Fork & Spatula; Paper Towels

After peeling your potatoes, let them soak in warm water for a few minutes and then coarsely grate by hand. Follow by grating the onion and then mix the two together. In a separate bowl, mix together your egg replacer (according to package directions) and flour and then stir into the potato/onion mix.

Heat oil in your skillet over moderately high heat. Spoon approx. 2 tablespoons potato mixture per pancake into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt and pepper.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? Yes! But only a taste… he wasn’t crazy about the whole project, in all honesty — thought it was too slimy, which is interesting because he doesn’t seem to mind mud-puddles outside…. We thought the pancakes were delicious, although deceivingly filling…

Every week Will and I (okay, mostly I) search the web for allergy information, links and opportunities for Will’s Kitchen. In an effort to collect all of our findings, we have decided to share our weekly favorites with our Will’s Kitchen readers… if you have any links that you would like to include, please contact us to let us know. Enjoy!

• This week we made Chocolate Chip Cookies and Roasted Red Pepper dip (see below)
• Researchers identify genetic link to Peanut Allergies [On the Face]
• Eczema, long-termed allergies linked [Modern Medicine]
• Why Food Allergies are Costing Your Restaurant Money [Chefforfeng]
• Birth Order May Affect Risk of Allergies [WebMD]
• Recently we made this yummy Pesto Pork recipe by the Intolerant Gourmet and we substituted our nut & dairy free pesto…

Roasted Red Pepper Dip:

Roasted Red Pepper – 1 (or the equivalent of) — If you don’t have time to roast a pepper (because, who does?) you can purchase roasted peppers either in jars, which are usually found in the pasta aisle of the grocery store. We have a local fresh market that stocks them in their salad bar…
Cannellini beans – 1/2 Cup
Olive Oil – 1 Tablespoon
Salt – Just a dash
Garlic Cloves – 2 large cloves crushed

You will need: Measuring tools; Blender or Food Processor; Spatula

Using your blender or food processor, puree together the peppers, beans and other ingredients. That’s right. It’s THAT EASY.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? No, but we do give him props for tasting! I loved it and spread some on my Turkey burger… just IMAGINE the possibilities…

Unfortunately (or fortunately — depends on your poison) for us, we haven’t learned our lesson yet and continue to attempt to make egg recipes with the major and minor replacements.  In this case — Ener-G Egg Replacer was our victim of choice and Popovers were the target.

Ener-G Egg Replacer – Equivalent of 2 eggs
FLOUR – 1 Cup
BAKING POWDER – 2 Teaspoons
KOSHER SALT – 1 Teaspoon
SOY MILK – 1 Cup
CANOLA OIL – 1 Tablespoon

You will need: Measuring tools; 2 Mixing Bowls (one small & one medium); Wire Whisk; Spatula; Popover or Muffin Tin

Grease your popover or muffin tin and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In the small bowl, mix together the egg replacer — you will see that it has the same consistency as egg whites. In the medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and then mix in the soy milk, oil and egg replacer. Stir it all together so that there aren’t any flour lumps and then spoon the mixture into the greased tin about half way per cup.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Unfortunately (or fortunately — again, is the glass half full or are you taking this too seriously?) The popovers are not popovers… instead they are more like mini faux egg muffins… Smaller, they barely rise to “popover” the edge of the baking tin AND although they have the light fluffy interior consistency  — they are not hollow, which is a definite quality of the true popover. Also, having once been a regular egg eater, I could taste the egg replacement — which was a little strange. All things aside, however — eaten as a popover, with a little spread of soy butter — they are quite delicious…

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? No. Despite having a good time making them — Absolutely not. In fact, he told us that they were “disgusting” without even attempting to try them… We think we may have hit a wall here in the 3 year old tasting arena… regardless of the proper use of the word, “disgusting”. On the other hand, however, we were quick to finish them off so we aren’t ashamed to steal a few bonus points for the team.

Amid all of the craziness of preparing for Annie’s wedding last week, I totally forgot to mention that it was also Vegan Week over at The Kitchn.

I know — HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW THAT? I mean really. With everything else going on in the world… your life, etc. — how did you fail to lift your head up and recognize the significance that is Vegan Week? I mean… I bet you ate dairy — eggs… MEAT, even. Because when I realized that it was Vegan Week, that’s exactly what I did. AND, not only that, but I FAILED to point it out to just about EVERYONE I know… excluding Mr. Sal, of course, who responded with a polite “Oh really” followed by the expected uninterested silence that could pretty much win the world series of poker should the opportunity arise… In other words, I blame myself.

But that’s okay. It’s alright that Vegan Week at The Kitchn was overlooked somewhat… mostly because I am not a Vegan, and you probably aren’t either… although I have to admit that the whole lifestyle is somewhat enviable and admittedly, healthy. And while I admit to questioning the morals of Taste vs. Lifestyle, Vegan Week was a little bittersweet for us as the timing fell just around Will’s allergy tests. Recipe trials, one of our favorite pastimes, over at Will’s Kitchen even slowed in hopes that the need to cook and bake dairy and egg free had passed… So while all of these delicious recipes and Vegan ideas were flashing before my eyes, I was in complete denial about committing to try any of them without knowing whether he was still allergic to cow’s milk, eggs, trees nuts and peanuts… Which, as it turns out, he still is — although his severity is slightly decreasing (yay!).

So while we are brushing off the counters at Will’s Kitchen (where I am repeating this post and stepping up our game) — getting out our spatula collection and preparing for another GO in the world of all things SAFE — the feelings of disappointment are a little numb. We’ve been laxed, a bit too much perhaps, with what we know about food — the controversies and unkempt practices that our country seems to “overlook”. And while I could completely cut loose and get balls out POLITICAL about what I’ve learned over the past three years about food — production, overproduction, shelf-life and LIFE EXPECTANCY– I will sit here angry and frustrated, but patiently stewing (dairy-free — of course). Because who wants to see me shouting at the blinding snow??– Pregnant, admittedly crazy and (oh, what the hell) only wearing slipper socks an apron while whipping together an admirable batch of these?

Come at me with an Egg McMuffin and I’ll gladly show you the door… but not without a lifetime of guilt schooled through flour throwing tantrums and apple sauce….Burned on your brain for the rest of your life… with love, of course.

Organic, farm fresh, real sugar… saved from the GENETICALLY MODIFIED to the Fresh to Fork… We may not be Vegans and we certainly aren’t Vegetarians, but we are shoveling our way out to a new way of eating… One allergy test at a time.

Related articles

• Welcome To Vegan Week at The Kitchn! (thekitchn.com)
• Vegan Around the Clock: 25 Vegan Recipes from Breakfast to Dessert from The Kitchn Recipe Roundup (thekitchn.com)

Will’s Aunt Katie is about as organic and unique as you can get… And she manages green houses, which makes us all green with envy — She’s also somewhat of an expert when it comes to vegan and holistic cooking… We think her Cheezy Sauce is like nothing else we’ve ever tasted.

Nutritional Yeast – 1 Cup
Flour – 3 Tablespoons
Arrow Root Powder – 4 Teaspoons
Salt – 1/2 Teaspoon
Water – 1 Cup
Olive Oil – 1 Tablespoon
Dijon Mustard (egg free) – 2 Teaspoons

You will need: Mixing Bowl; Whisk; Sauce Pan; Spoon for stirring

Whisk together the Nutritional Yeast, Flour, Arrow Root Powder, Salt and Water in the mixing bowl and then transfer to your saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until it starts to become thick — this will happen rather quickly. Stir in the Dijon Mustard… There really isn’t anything to compare the taste of this sauce with — it is completely unique and very tasty… we had some breadsticks on hand for dippage — you can, of course, use whatever you’d like…

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? Unfortunately, creamy is not a texture that Will is liking very much these days… so, although he enjoyed playing with the sauce, he didn’t taste it — we’ll get there someday!

Yum.

This recipe yields 8 Spring Rolls. You can, of course, make more if you’d like.

Water for boiling and soaking the Rice Papers
Rice Noodles – 1 Cup Cooked
Cole Slaw Cabbage Mixture – 1 Cup Raw
Sunflower Seeds – 1/4 Cup Crushed
Tamari – 1 Tablespoon
Honey – 1 Tablespoon
Olive Oil – 1 Tablespoon
Round Rice Papers – 8-10 – save the rest in a plastic ziplock for next time!

You will need: Pot for boiling; Mixing Bowl; Pie Plate; Spoon; Regular Plate; Colander; Cutting Board; Knife for chopping – mind the little fingers!

Start by boiling water to cook the Rice Noodles by the package instructions, this part takes the longest (approx. 20 minutes) so you can make the rest of the dish while the noodles cook. In your mixing bowl, combine Cole Slaw, Crushed Sunflower Seeds, Tamari, Honey and Olive Oil and set aside. Taking your time while the noodles are still cooking, add water to the pie plate and have a little play time. Once the noodles are ready, drain into the colander, chop and add to the cole slaw mixture. Prepare a plate on the side – preferably colored so that you can see the Rice Paper, and start to soak the Rice Paper in the pie plate for 2-3 minutes.. One paper at a time. Carefully lift the paper out and lay across the plate. Let the paper dry out for another 4-5 minutes until you can feel it becoming sticky.

Grab your spoon and add approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture at one edge of the rice paper. Now, everyone has their own rolling technique, but we find that we get the tightest rolls by starting at the edge where the mixture is, folding over and then folding in the sides – kind of like an envelope, and then rolling up. The next step really depends on your taste… eat them plain as is, with the yummy tamari flavoring leading the way, or throw a fun dipping sauce into the act… one thing for sure though… USE YOUR HANDS to gobble them up.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? Sadly, no. But we kind of knew we were kidding ourselves that he would… oh the tastes of a two year old!

CHICKPEAS (aka Garbanzo Beans)  – 1 can
ONION (small) – 1 chopped
GARLIC CLOVE – 1 pressed
PARSLEY – 1 Tablespoon
GROUND CUMIN – 1 Teaspoon
CORIANDER – 1 Teaspoon
FLOUR – 2 Tablespoons divided
Salt & Pepper to taste
CANOLA OIL – 1/4 cup

You will need: Measuring tools; Mixing bowls; Food Processor; Skillet; Tongs; Cutting board; Knife for chopping – keep away from little hands; Spoon; Potato masher

Drain the Chickpeas from the can and rinse in a mixing bowl with a little bit of water and let stand while you dice the Onion. Drain the Chickpeas again and purée in the food processor until creamy — spoon back into the mixing bowl. Add the diced Onion to the food processor and purée until liquid and then pour into and mix with the puréed chickpeas. Press the Garlic into the mixture and stir well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the Parsley, Ground Cumin, Coriander, 1 tablespoon of the Flour and salt & pepper to taste and add to the Chickpea mixture. Mash the mixture together with the potato masher and then a spoon. Using your hands, scoop out a ball and form into a patty adding bits of flour to solidify. Repeat until the mixture is done — should make approximately 6-8 Falafels.

Heat the Canola Oil in your skillet on low and add the patties to cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Serve hand-held, in a pita or with a little Green Goddess Dressing for dipping. Yum.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? He walked around with it for a while — kind of licking it to taste… no bites yet, but we are persistent!

ONION – 1/2 Cup Chopped
GARLIC CLOVES – 6 finely chopped
VEGETABLE OIL – 1 Tablespoon
SOFT TOFU – 1 package
TURMERIC – 1 Teaspoon
CUMIN – 1 Teaspoon
BRAGG – 2 Tablespoons
SALT – 1 Teaspoon
BLACK PEPPER – Quick Dash

You will need: Measuring tools; Skillet; Brush for Oil; Knife for chopping – keep away from little hands.

Chop the onion and garlic either away from your child or before cooking. Use the oil and allow your son or daughter to brush the skillet. In the meantime, remove the Tofu from its package and set on a plate to drain. You may want to press on it a little to release more of the liquid. Once the skillet is prepared with the oil, move it to a burner on medium heat and add in the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is wilted and crumble in the tofu. Stir. Add in your spices and Bragg and simmer until the tofu browns a bit.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? No. No way no day—I, however, did. Yum.

WATER – 1 Cup
ORGANIC SOY MILK – 2 Cups
VEGETABLE OIL – 6 Tablespoons
VANILLA – 1/2 Teaspoon
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR – 3 Cups
BAKING POWDER – 6 Teaspoons
GRANULATED SUGAR – 4 Teaspoons
SALT – 1 Teaspoon
CINNAMON – Quick Dash
FROZEN BLUEBERRIES – 1 Cup

You will need: Measuring tools; 2 Mixing Bowls; Wire Whisk; Waffle Iron, farm animals optional; Spatula; Non-dairy Cooking Spray; Organic Soy Butter or Organic Soy Margarine; Maple syrup (yum).

In a bowl, combine the water, soy milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and mix with a wire whisk. In another bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and then pour into the first bowl and mix. Pour the frozen blueberries into the mix and give it a light stir– you don’t want to wake them up too much. Spray your waffle iron with the Non-dairy cooking spray and then turn it on to heat. Please note that not all waffle irons are the same, so check out the instructions before turning yours on.

Carefully pour the batter into the waffle iron and cook accordingly.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? Yes… yes he did. He ate it from his plate with Soy Butter and Maple Syrup, AND he ate bites out of one that he held in his hand. Success, my friends, is as sweet if not sweeter than blueberries.